Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has signed legislation aimed at getting Indiana off a list of five states without a hate crimes law.
The Republican signed it Wednesday, a day after the GOP-dominated state Senate approved the measure .
Holcomb said in a statement he’s “confident our judges will increase punishment for those who commit crimes motivated by bias under this law.”
It will allow judges to impose longer sentences for crimes involving creed, disability, national origin, race, religion and sexual orientation, but doesn’t explicitly cover age, sex or gender identity.
The Anti-Defamation League lists Indiana as one of five states, along with Georgia, South Carolina, Wyoming and Arkansas, without hate crimes protections. The group said Friday that the legislation “does not meet our standard for a real and effective hate crimes bill in 2019.”
